County Council Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee

## MODULE S1: STUDY GUIDE **Meeting ID:** WHA-CNR-2025-11-18 ### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee met on November 18, 2025, for a brief 25-minute session focused on a semi-annual update from Parks and Recreation Director Bennett Knox. The presentation covered department operations, budget impacts, and strategic planning for leveraging external resources. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Mid-Biennium Review:** A mid-cycle budget adjustment process where departments can request changes to their two-year budget allocations based on changing needs or circumstances. **Park Special Revenue:** A dedicated funding source for parks operations, separate from general county funds, that comes from park fees, grants, and other park-specific revenue sources. **C-PROS Plan:** Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan - a strategic planning document that guides future park development and identifies community recreation needs. **Human-Powered Campsites:** Camping facilities accessible only by non-motorized transportation like kayaking, hiking, or biking, typically found in more remote or environmentally sensitive locations. **Multimodal Trails:** Pathways designed to accommodate multiple types of users including pedestrians, cyclists, and sometimes equestrians or other non-motorized transportation. **Bay to Baker Trail:** A proposed recreational trail connecting Bellingham Bay to Mount Baker, specifically the segment between Kendall and Glacier that the county is now planning with grant funding. **External Resources:** Grants, partnerships, volunteer labor, and other funding or support sources outside of county general fund revenue. **DNR Easement:** A legal agreement with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources allowing public access across state-owned land. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Bennett Knox | Parks and Recreation Department Director | | Todd Donovan | Committee Member (chairing meeting) | | Mark Stremler | Committee Member | | Kaylee Galloway | Committee Chair (excused, away on county business) | | Chris | Parks Operations Manager | ### Background Context Whatcom County Parks manages an extensive system of 73 properties across the county, including campgrounds, trails, senior centers, and recreational facilities. With 80 miles of trails, 54 public restrooms, and facilities ranging from Point Roberts to the Lake Whatcom watershed, the department faces significant operational challenges amid budget constraints. The presentation comes during the county's mid-biennium review process, where departments are adjusting their budgets for the remainder of the two-year budget cycle. Parks is dealing with economic uncertainty while trying to maintain service levels and avoid layoffs, leading to a strategic focus on securing external funding sources like grants and partnerships rather than relying solely on county general funds. The department's approach reflects a broader trend in local government toward leveraging community partnerships and grant funding to maintain and expand services. This is particularly important for parks departments, which often struggle with deferred maintenance and growing community expectations for recreational amenities while facing budget constraints. ### What Happened — The Short Version Director Knox presented the department's operational scope and budget situation. The parks system manages 73 properties with extensive infrastructure requiring daily maintenance - from cleaning 218 toilets multiple times daily to maintaining 30 miles of roads and 170 acres of turf. For the 2026 budget, Parks identified $34,000 in extra help reductions across administrative staff, facilities, and Plantation Range operations, but avoided full-time staff cuts by using park special revenue funds. Knox highlighted recent grant successes, including $424,000 from WSDOT for Bay to Baker trail planning between Kendall and Glacier, and CEO reimbursement for the Carrasco parcel purchase that will fund a comprehensive parks plan update. The department is pursuing strategic community engagement through working groups on senior programming, trail partnerships, and multimodal transportation, positioning for future grant opportunities and community support. Knox provided brief updates on major projects: Plantation outdoor range cleanup may be delayed until 2028 due to ecology permit issues, while the indoor range is testing equipment for a January soft opening to law enforcement and March public opening. The Lake Whatcom forest management plan draft is under public review with council adoption expected December 9. ### What to Watch Next • **December 5:** Trail summit with recreation groups and community partners on multimodal trail development • **December 9:** County Council consideration of Lake Whatcom forest management plan adoption • **Ongoing:** Mid-biennium budget review process and final 2026 budget decisions ---